


Theft of a Heart

by sunnyautumnmorning



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-13
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-05-20 05:40:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5993584
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunnyautumnmorning/pseuds/sunnyautumnmorning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A return to perhaps one of my most favourite couples that I have written-Mercer Frey and Gynni.<br/>This is for Heart’s Day.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Theft of a Heart

  
“Cloudy skies, no moon and warm weather, what more could one ask for?”

I looked over at my talkative companion and grimaced. I did not know how much more of her talking I could take. In fact, I did not know why I had not just gone on the job, without her. But of course, I decided to have this little slip of a woman follow me, so I could keep an eye on her. As if I could not manage the job and her at the same time; I was Mercer Frey, Guild Master of The Thieves Guild of Riften, and she, she was definitely more than a handful though, as I was finding out.

“How about you keep your sunny disposition to yourself and focus on the job instead, eh?” I hissed from between my clenched teeth, hoping she would take the hint.

She snorted, raising one eyebrow, as she drew nearer.

I shifted my position against the wall, putting some much needed distance between us. I was not comfortable with her getting close to me.

“Did someone get up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?” She purred.

I ignored her remark and continued to watch the building, over her shoulder, waiting for the lights inside to extinguish.

“You know,” she stepped closer, her scent filling my nostrils, clouding my judgement, “I would have to admit, that I thought I was the one with the sour disposition and it was you, who was the sweet one.” She whispered, sending me even further into a rage.

I kept it under wraps. I had to, if I killed her, then I would have something else to worry about and right now I had enough to worry about with the extra guards who were patrolling this section of Solitude.  
I had the distinct feeling and I listened to those feelings-they had saved me many a time-that someone had informed the guards that the Thieves Guild was after some valuables in Solitude.

“You know, you really should learn to have some fun on these jobs and not be so tense.” Her breath was warm against my ear.

That was it; I could not take another quip, or remark or even another word from her.

“If you do not stop your incessant talking now…”

The next thing I knew she was pushing me back into the shadows. Her one hand went to my chest and the other went to my chin. She stood on tip toe and began kissing me. Her lips were soft and warm against mine.

After a moment, she let me go and was promptly met with a scowl.

“What did you do that for?” Sounding between surprised and somewhat having rather enjoying the moment.

“I did that so the guard that was approaching would not get suspicious.”

I stared at her, my expression not changing.

Over her shoulder there stood the guard, hands on hips, watching us.

“No lollygagging.” The guard quipped and moved a bit away, but still keeping an eye on us.

“And you thought by kissing me, that he would not become suspicious about us?”

She looked down at the ground, for a second, then back up at me coyly and nodded.

“It was worth it, Mercer. I wondered what you tasted like.”

She moved off to the other side of the street and disappeared around the back of the building.

_Tasted like?_

I hesitated for a moment then followed her, thinking of the many ways I could dispose of her, enjoyably of course now.

~~*~~

She was on her knees, picking the lock of the door. She did not acknowledge my presence.

I studied her; taking in her mousy brown hair, the way her eyes were set in her angular face, her small frame. I watched her fingers work the lock and I thought of them touching me. Perhaps in another lifetime, I might be tempted by her, but this, this was strictly business. _It is supposed to be._ I thought. _  
_

Lock picked and door opened, she stood from her knees and she bent low and swept one hand before herself.

“After you, my kind sir, if you please.”

I glared at her as I passed by and through the door into the shop and made my way to the office where I set to work picking the lock on the safe.

Once easily achieved, I emptied the contents into my satchel and closed the door on the safe.

She was standing at my elbow, her breath hot on my neck. _What is it with her?  
_

“You think you and I could ever…?”

“Never.”

“So you are not curious…?”

“No.”

“Oh.”

I glanced at her sideways and saw her crestfallen face. I felt bad for a moment.

“So, you are saying, that you don’t like me?”

I nodded. It was not entirely true, but I spoke the words still. “Aye, give the woman a coin purse; she hit the nail on the head.” I turned to scowl at her.

She stepped closer, my heart thumped in my chest, her hand came up to touch my chin.

Next thing, she was being bent back with her arm twisted around her back. I leaned against her soft body, pinning her against the table behind her. I gazed down into her blue eyes and I lost myself just for a second.  
_Damn this woman is infuriating!_

“I told you, I do not like you.” I felt her body move beneath mine; it inflamed me for a moment. “You can forget about any ideas you have of you ever having me. Do I make myself clear?”

She mumbled something incoherent and then she nodded. I let go of her arm. She walked to the door, opened it and was gone.

~~*~~

I returned to the Guild and gave Brynjolf the contents of my satchel, saving the coin I found for my own pockets.

He inquired how she had been.

I was startled by his question, _what exactly is he referring too?_

He looked me over and nodded, hesitantly, then moved to place the items in the vault.

I noticed that she was not in the Cistern, nor was she in the Ragged Flagon later when I went to have a drink.

She did not show up that night either as I crawled into bed. I huffed and rolled over and put her out of my mind, or so I thought.

~~*~~

A light mist fell from the sky and the ground was soaked and spongy underfoot. I shivered and pushed myself further under the overhang of rock behind me.

My horse pawed and stamped its foot and whinnied gently as a rider and horse appeared.

It was her.

I waited for her to dismount and she approached with the sweetest smile on her face.

I held open my arms to her and she came to me, into my embrace and we kissed passionately.

“Gods man, you are shivering. It is from the weather or are you happy to see me?”

I laughed as my hands wove through her hair and I pulled her closer, drinking her scent in, warming my body with hers.

“A little of both I think, my love. I could not wait any longer to see you.”

She nodded as she wrapped a hand around my waist as we walked into the cave to sit by the fire.

“You know, they are starting to wonder where it is that we both disappear to. I think they have figured it out that we are meeting in secret.”

I nodded my head.

“Imagine how that would look, cavorting around like what we are doing.”

“Speaking of cavorting...”

I awoke and sat up in bed, looking around the Cistern and directly over at her still empty bed.

I could feel the heat emanating from my face as the images from my dream haunted me.

I shoved the thin blanket off my legs and pulled my boots on. I stood, grabbing my cuirass and shrugged it on. I slipped out the concealed entrance and moved swiftly through the streets of Riften and out the main gate.

I was not sure where she would go, but I was, to be painfully honest, beginning to worry. I paused at that thought and wondered why the sudden change of heart where she was concerned. I was not overly thrilled with the woman, even though…

I shoved the memory aside, of what I had dreamt about and what had happened between us in Solitude.  
Yet the memory persisted, the thought of her lips on mine, the feel of her body; it sent shivers up my spine and not the ones from something that bothers or irritates you.

I sighed, angry and frustrated with myself. _Why now? Why her? What is wrong with me?_ I shook my head.

~~*~~

I found her, eventually, a few days later. She was sitting in the shadows of an inn, feet posted on the table, hood drown down over her face, lazily drawing circles in spilled ale and watching a mark; waiting for the perfect opportunity to pick-pocket him.

I stayed where I was, watching her. She kept her movements to the minimum, not making herself known to the other patrons or the mark.  
When the man moved to the door, she paused for the briefest of seconds then was out the door behind him.

I slipped out behind unnoticed.

Moving between the shadows, she followed him; weaving and ducking in behind barrels and crates and keeping to darkened doorways.

The man was far deep in his cups, weaving from one side of the street to other. He kept moving until he stopped to relieve himself by someone’s front door and that was when she brushed by him.

He did not even realize that she had lifted his coin purse, took his dagger and managed to take his amulet from around his neck.

It was too easy-he was inebriated.

Her next marks were a well-dressed woman who was walking with an escort.

Sweeping up aside them and bumping into them, I her nimble fingers take both of their coin purses. The escort stopped and for a moment, I thought he had noticed the true intent of the jostling by the young woman dressed in dark robe and leathers.  
He instead turned and uttered a threat at her for her inability to pass by without interrupting their private conversation.

She flashed a wicked smile and disappeared down a nearby alley.

I saw my opportunity to approach her.

Looking down the alley, I did not see her. I was unsure if she would recognize me or think me a guard on her heels if I approached.

I entered the alley, keeping a wary eye for her.

I found out what she thought, when the blade of a dagger came to rest at my throat. A hiss came in my ear.

“You looking for trouble? I think you found it.”

I shoved back and pressed her against the wall and turned to grab her hand before she stuck me with the dagger.

We scuffled for a moment, the dagger fell to the ground at her feet and I kicked it away.

My hood fell back and she saw who I was.

“What in Oblivion do you want?” She asked harshly.

“I… was worried about you.”

She stared at me for a second.

“I was doing some extra jobs; thinking of taking some time off for a while.” She paused contemplating my words. “Worried you say?”

I nodded, my excuse was thin and I hoped she did not see through it.

“Does not matter, I am not coming back to the Guild. You can tell the others I left. I have, uh, a better deal than what you are offering. Tell Brynjolf…well; tell him it was good while it lasted. Now let me go so I can get back to work.”

I thought I was the one with the thin excuse. She could not meet my eyes and in a way I was glad she did not. She would have seen the dismay at her words of leaving the Guild.

Again I questioned myself; _what is wrong with me?_

“Well, then, uh, I best let you be off then.”

I stepped back, lifting my hood and turning on heel to move away down the alley.

“You know, you could come with me…if you wanted to that is. I have this little cabin, near Falkreath. It is not much, but at least there is plenty of fish in the river, a little garden and I had a dog, but the stupid dog ran off, a while before I left. The winters are not too harsh there and we could easily take care of any bandits in the area and take it for ourselves. I’m sure we could make our own Guild. What do you say?”

I stopped in my tracks. _What is she thinking? That her and I will get married? Have a couple of kids, live a comfortably boring life?_  
_I am a thief and a damn good one at that. It is the only thing I am good at. Besides, I have my own issues to deal with. A past that is going to eventually catch up with me and when it does I cannot have anyone getting in the way._

But then, I looked at her.

“Gynni.”

I spoke her name, rolling over the pronunciation, liking how it felt on my tongue. I wanted her. It was as simple as that and I would have her.

“How about if you come back with me, to the Guild? I am sure that there are reasons enough to stay.”

She smiled, stepping closer to me.

“And what reasons are those may I…?”

I did not let her finish her sentence, as my mouth came down hard on hers and I kissed her. I pulled her body close to mine, feeling her yielding to my desires.

I released her and watched her face; that sweet face of hers.

I had initially thought that it was Brynjolf who was the man she wanted; after all, the way he looked at her and she him. But I now knew different.

I didn’t think that she could ignite such a passion in me, but she did; passion and jealousy. I had not felt that in such a long time.

Mercer, I did not think you had it in you.” Her words came breathlessly.

I scowled. “Oh, I had it in me, that I and have much more."

Her eyebrow twitched at the same time the corner of her mouth did.

“Well then, let us see what all you have in you then, shall we?”

 


End file.
